Echoes of the War Drums
by CrimsonSnake
Summary: Post-Meteor. Vincent is being controlled by Chaos until he finds a power which can trap Chaos forever. Only with the help of AVALANCHE will he put the demon down - for good. New chapter up!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, settings, or things like that. Squaresoft does.  
  
Author's Note: Hallo! I hope you enjoy my fic. Please R&R, input is always welcome!  
  
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It's been a year. One year since we defeated Sephiroth. One year since we, AVALANCHE, saved the world. I was the most tortured member of our group, you could say. Sinful, at the very least. My name is Vincent Valentine. I was trapped within myself, within Chaos, that demon who laid the final blow on Bizzaro Sephiroth, who tortured me while I lay helpless, immobile inside an unbreakable shell. All I could do is watch while Chaos annihilated what AVALANCHE strived so hard to preserve. But I broke free, pushing the demon back inside, into a prison made of a material even the Lord of Evil could not break. This is our story, of what happened after Meteor, and what will come to pass. It all begins here.  
  
Prologue  
  
I screamed in agony, the tortured sound echoing through the twists and spirals of the ruined city.  
  
Chaos simply laughed at me and continued to kill the innocents who tried to flee. His bloodrage had gone farther than usual. When he would simply destroy the village and watch them run, now he captured villagers and twisted, maimed, and dismembered them, leaving dying heaps of shattered flesh on the bloody ground. He took so much enjoyment in his play, so much that would leave one convulsing on the shaking earth. It sickened me, at the very least.  
  
I wanted to flee from my mortal prison, to at least have the sweet touch of death to comfort me where all else has failed. But not even death can save me from Chaos. All I could do was watch and wait. Wait until it all ended. Wait until the time when I could break away, or die trying.  
  
But then it hit me.  
  
I knew what could trap Chaos.  
  
But how would I get it? 


	2. Seeds

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. I do own the "non-existent" plot, so blame me for that. And I don't own Lu Bu. Koei does.  
  
A/N: Chaos_Wolf1, Juzu, and Onimushi, thank you for your reviews! Here's a slightly longer chapter for you all ^_^  
  
Echoes of the War Drums Chapter One: Seeds  
  
There once was a time in my life when I was whole. When I was free of this demon and his kin inside me. But, like any story, a character must be tortured with his fears. Chaos was a compilation of my fear, hatred, lust, sin.. Everything that would hinder me in battle. You see, Hojo wanted to transform my earthly body into a killing machine. He wanted Chaos to control me completely. But I was stronger than that, and managed to push back Chaos.  
  
Until Sephiroth returned.  
  
A year after the Meteor incident, I was traveling a lonely path towards the mostly-rebuilt city of Midgar. ShinRa had reformed into LuBu Corp, whose new mission was to repair the damage ShinRa inflicted on Gaia. They had started with Midgar. Over halfway rebuilt, this new Midgar was more economically friendly than the old one was. The tall, spindly towers and squat dwellings made for an interesting sight, along with the Dome. The Dome was the center of the new city, a memorial to those who died and a monument to AVALANCHE. In the very center of the Dome was a statue of Aeris praying, like she had done on that fateful day. When she was killed by Sephiroth.  
  
I was heading to Midgar to talk with Cloud about the rumors of Sephiroth's revival. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret had rebuilt Tifa's Seventh Heaven and were living there together. After Meteor, there was much comfort to be found living with friends. Or so they tell me. For I lived alone in the old ShinRa mansion. It's only fitting that the sinful lived where they were damned. With only Chaos for company, and short visits from the other AVALANCHE members, I'm surprised I haven't gone insane already. It is nice to have the silence to comfort me, when Chaos isn't ranting in my head. But I digress.  
  
I trudged up the hill slowly, reveling in the silence before the chaotic noises of the city. I disliked going into any large city, as the noises made Chaos louder and more bloodthirsty. But they also helped me concentrate on keeping him in check, as he was distracted by the fresh meat around him. Sometimes when I was irked too far, Chaos would rip out of my barriers and would deftly kill the one that had earned my ire, along with the rest of the city. For once Chaos was out, he never receded until the inhabitants of whatever town I was in were lying dead on the bloodstained earth.  
  
I crested the hill, welcoming the metallic sight of Midgar into my vision. The Dome was plainly visible in the morning light, overshadowing the other, lesser parts of the city. I planned to stop by The Neko Joint, a niche coffee shop in the business district. The Neko's owner, Holly, was friendly and would help a poor man out on his luck. I'd gotten help from her many times after the incident. I could tell Chaos disliked her even more than most.  
  
I crept closer to the guard at the door of the Neko. There had never been a guard there before, and I was slightly worried that something had happened to Holly. The guard managed to spy me in the crowd and waved me over. It was then I recognized him. It was Reno of the Turks, or what was now the Hunters. They tracked criminals and executed them. Almost like a bounty hunter.  
  
I made my way over to Reno. "What are you doing here?" I asked in my most nonchalant voice. "We're here to enlist AVALANCHE to help us kill Sephiroth." the red-haired man said with a smirk.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- That's it for now! Please review! 


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